COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team continues to build momentum heading into the 2024-25 season, as head coach Kim Rosamond announced another important addition to the roster with the signing of 5-foot-10 guard Maddy Saracco, a transfer from Southern Illinois.
As a freshman in Carbondale, Ill., Saracco competed in 27 of the Sulukis' 31 games, shooting 35.3 percent from the floor and an impressive 41.2 percent from 3-point range. Earning significantly more playing time as the season progressed, the newest Golden Eagle signee averaged 5.6 points and 1.4 rebounds over 15.7 minutes per game in the team's last seven contests.
During that stretch, Saracco shot 43.3 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from downtown while sinking at least one 3-pointer in four games. SIU won each of its final three games of the regular season as the rookie's playing time saw an uptick.
"Maddy is such a gifted offensive player," Rosamond expressed. "Her basketball IQ is off the charts and she just has a knack for making plays and finding ways to score. We recruited her out of high school and gave her the nickname 'Maddy Buckets' because of her ability to make the game look easy with the ball in her hands. She is deadly from distance, but can also create her own shot. Maddy is a gym rat and she truly has a heart and love for the game. Her passion, energy, and swagger will be contagious, and our fans will love watching her in a Tech uniform."
Saracco delivered her top two performances of the year during the final seven games of the year, highlighted by a 12-point showing off the bench against Illinois State in which she buried four triples on seven attempts. In Southern Illinois' final regular-season tilt of the year, she subbed in for a highly productive, 18 minutes while accounting for 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting, five rebounds, and a pair of makes from beyond the arc at UIC.
"I chose Tennessee Tech because when I stepped on campus and met the team and staff, I had an indescribable feeling in my heart knowing that this was my new home," Saracco explained. "The coaching staff believes in me and my talents on the court and allows me to be myself off the court as well."
The Bolingbrook, Ill. native played her junior and senior seasons at Example Academy, the state of Illinois' first all-girls prep school, where she was a McDonald's All-American nominee her senior year. Prior to attending Example Academy, Sarracco teamed up with Golden Eagle signee Taris Thornton at Montini Catholic High School, where they guided their team to a third-place finish in the Class 3A Illinois State Tournament.
Saracco represents the third transfer the Golden Eagles have added during the late signing period that began on Wednesday, April 13. She joins EIU transplant and former high school teammate Taris Thornton and Trevecca graduate transfer Keeley Carter as the three newest members of the purple and gold. The veteran group was added to the trio of prep stars signed by the Golden Eagles in November, including Louisiana native Chloe Larry, Gatlinburg-Pittman High School star Maddy Newman, and Alcoa High School standout Amelia Pfeiffer.
The six members of Tech's signing class will look to build off an already impressive stretch that has seen the Golden Eagles re-establish the program as one of the most consistent and successful in the Ohio Valley Conference. Tech will enter the 2024-25 campaign boasting six straight winning seasons, bolstered by six consecutive years of double-digit wins in OVC play. That stretch includes an impressive, three 20-win campaigns, an OVC Tournament title, and the team's first victory in the NCAA Tournament since 1990.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
